Offshore apparatus



NOV- 23, 1965 J. F. MATTHEWS, JR 3,219,119

OFFSHORE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Sept. 24, 1963 FIG. IA.

FIG. l.

CLOSURE PLUG RELEASABLE CLAMP Yq R J. u S R mw T E NH l A 2 NA l M G F. .I E F M A J l Y 2 B G m L P M U O C u I m O 2 L u F O 2 l m m 2 3 2 2 W Nov. 23, 1965 J. F.' MATTHEWS, JR 3,219,119

OFFSHORE APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PIPE SECTIONS CASING FIG- 3 RISER FLEXIBLE JOINT ADDED PIPE ATTOR EY.

United States Patent Oillice 3,219,119 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 3,219,119 OFFSHORE APPARATUS Jamie F. Matthews, Jr., Grand Isle, La., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Esso Production Research Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Original application Sept. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 311,017. Divided and this application Aug. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 390,985

4 Claims. (Cl. 166-66.5)

This application is a division of Serial No. 311,017, entitled Offshore Method and Apparatus led September 24, 1963, for Jamie F. Matthews, Jr.

The present invention is directed to installation of a flow line for an offshore well. More particularly, the invention is concerned with apparatus for use offshore in connection with a well. In its more specific aspects, the invention is concerned with the installation of a ow line wherein the employment of divers is avoided.

The present invention may be brielly described as apparatus involved in installing a flow line for an offshore well or wells wherein a structure is fabricated having a flow line riser arranged within and attached to the structure. The ow line has a section movably connected thereto arranged outside and releasably attached to the structure. The structure may be fabricated at a point remote from the well site, such as offshore, and then transported to the well site where it is vertically located. Thereafter, one or more wells are drilled from the structure and when the well or a plurality of wells is completed, the movable section is released from the structure and supported at its free end as it is lowered from a vertical position. The movable section has its length extended by sequentially connecting lengths of pipe thereto. The movable section is progressively lowered to water bottom as the lengths of pipe are connected to the movable section.

The present invention also is concerned with offshore apparatus for supporting a well or a plurality of wells which comprises a structure adapted to be vertically arranged in a body of water to extend from water bottom to above water surface. A llow riser is arranged within and attached to the structure and is provided with a movable section releasably attached to the exterior of the structure. The movable section is connected to the ow riser by a member which allows the movable section to be pivoted downwardly and outwardly from the structure. The movable section and the flow riser are both suciently long to extend the major length of the structure.

The movable section and the flow riser may be suitably connected by a flexible tubular member or by a suitable coupling which allows the movable section to pivot downwardly and outwardly from the structure. The connection between the flow riser and the movable section allows passage of tools to and from the well to which the upper and free end of the flow riser is connected. Such tools may include, as examples only, perforating guns, `storm chokes, parailn cutters, pipeline scraper pigs, pipeline scraper balls and soluble scraper plugs, and the like.

The present invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary view, taken along line 1A-1A of FIG. 1, showing the pivotal movement employed;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of a modication of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the present invention where the movable section is pivoted outwardly and downwardly; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a continuation of the operations of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing where identical numerals will designate identical parts, and particularly to FIGS. l and 1A, numeral 11 designates a structure arranged in a body of water 12 and extending above the water surface 13 from water bottom 14. The structure 11 supports a platform 15, from which a well or a plurality of wells may be drilled, and a second platform 16, which serves as a production cellar. The structure 11 is suitably provided with horizontal braces 17 and cross braces 18. Arranged within the periphery of the structure 11 and attached thereto by suitable attaching means 19a is a ilow riser 19 which extends from water bottom 14 to the production cellar 16. The lower end of the ow riser 19 has a curved or bent section 20 which connects by a coupling member 21, such as a Chicksan coupling member which provides for as much as 360 rotation in at least one plane, to a curved section 22 of a movable section 23 which is attached releasably to the outside structure 11 by suitable attaching means illustrated by numeral 24. These attaching means should be easily accessible from the water surface. The curved sections 2t) and 22 are suitably strengthened by bracing members 20u and 22a, respectively. The free end 25 of the movable section 23 is closed by a bull plug 26. The movable section 23 is iilled with air to provide vertical buoyancy for supporting same in the water.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the ow riser 19 is connected to the movable section 23 by means of a llexible tubular connection 27, which is suitably a flexible metallic section, which will withstand fluid pressure. The flexible tubular connection 27 allows the movable section 23 to pivot downwardly and outwardly from the structure 11.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the structure 11 in the body of water 12 has had a well or Va plurality of wells drilled from the platforms 15 and 16, the well having a casing or casings 28 which extends to the platform 16. The ilow riser 19 is connected by connecting means 29 directly to the Christmas tree 30 or to the Christmas tree 3i) by way of scraper trap 30a when a plurality of wells are drilled from the platform 15. The scraper trap 39a may be of any construction and like the Christmas tree 30 is provided with the usual valves for dircetin g flow.

In FIG. 3, the movable section 23 has been released and pivots downwardly and is connected to a barge 40 by means of a line 31 attached to clamp 32 which, in turn, is clamped around the free end of the movable section 23. `Pipe sections 33 are arranged on the barge 30, and these pipe sections are sequentially connected to the pipe section 23 to extend the length thereof. As shown more clearly in FIG. 4, the barge 40 has moved away from the structure 11 in the direction of the arrow; and `the movable section has had its length extended by progressively attaching lengths of pipe to the movable section 23 as the barge moves away. The movable section 23 is progressively laid on bottom 14 as the barge moves laway and new lsections of pipe are added.

Thus, it will be clear from the description taken with the drawing that divers are not required for connecting the well to a ilow riser and to the ow line, of which it forms a part. By way of explanation, it is exceedingly dicult to employ divers at water depths below about feet in that divers can only work for short periods of time and these shortened periods of time are spaced at long intervals. In other words, the use of divers at depths below l0() feet is time consuming and expensive. The present invention avoids the employment of divers in connecting llow lines and the like to wells drilled from offshore structures. The present invention, therefore, is very important, useful, and has many advantages.

Besides the advantages set out herein, by installing the flow riser inside the structure, it is protected from contact with boats and vessels. The risers may be securely fastened to the leg or other parts of the structure throughout its underwater length with welded brackets as desired.

Moreover, this installation may be done at a remote location from the well, such as on shore, and the structure transported to the well, either on .a barge or by providing suflicient buoyancy thereto andv floating same to the location.

A still further advantage is that installation of flow lines, in accordance with lthe present invention, is no longer dependent on mild weather conditions. The insta-llation may be made in water wherein diving is dangerous. In short, so long as a vessel can navigate in the water, the installation may proceed.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated and the best mode and embodiment thereof contemplated set forth, what I wish to claim as new and useful and secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. Offshore apparatus which comprises a structure adapted to be vertically arranged in a body of Water to extend from water bottom to above water surface and having a well extending to said structure, a flow riser having a free upper end and a lower end, said flow riser being attached to said structure and adapted to be connected to said well at its upper end, a movable pipe section having a lower end, said movable pipe section being releasably attached to said structure in a substantially vertical position, and means fixedly positioned adjacent water bottom connecting the lower ends of said flow riser and said movable pipe section permitting rotation of said movable pipe section from its substantially vertical position to a position on water bottom, said movable section and said iiow riser being suiciently long to extend from water bottom at least to water surface.

2. Offshore apparatus which comprises a structure adapted to be vertically arranged in a body of water to extend from water b-ottom to above water surface :and having a well extending to said structure, a flow riser having a free upper end and a lower end, said ow riser being attached to said structure and adapted to be connected to said well at its upper end, a movable pipe section having a lower end, said movable pipe section being releasably attached to the exterior of said structure in a substantially vertical position, and flexible means xedly positioned adjacent water bottom connecting the lower ends of said flow riser and said movable pipe section permitting rotation of said movable pipe section from its substantially vertical position to a position on water bottom, said movable section and said flow riser being sufiiciently long to extend from water bottom at least to water surface.

3. Offshore apparatus which comprises a structure adapted to be vertically arranged in a body of water to extend from water bottom to above Water surface and having a well extending to said structure, a flow riser having a free upper end and a lower end, said flow riser being protectingly attached to said structure and adapted to be connected to said well at its upper end, a movable pipe section having a lower end, said movable pipe section 4being releasably attached to the exterior of said structure in a substantially vertical position, and means fixcdly positioned adjacent water bottom connecting the lower ends of said flow riser and said movable pipe section permitting rotation of said movable pipe section from its substantially verti-cal position to a position on water bottom, said movable section and said flow riser being sufciently long to extend from water bottom at least to water surface.

4. Offshore apparatus which comprises a structure adapted to be vertically arranged in a body of water to extend from water bottom to above water surface and having a well extending to said structure, a flow riser having a free upper end and a lower end, said flow riser being attached to said structure and adapted to be connected to said well at its upper end, a movable pipe sec- -tion having a lower end, said movable pipe section being releasably attached to said structure in a substantially vertical position, and pivot means xedly positioned adjacent water bottom connecting the lower ends of said flow riser and said movable pipe section permitting rotation of said movable pipe section from its substantially vertical position to a position on water bottom, said movable section and said ow riser being suciently long to extend from water bottom at least to water surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,594,105 4/1952 Watts 166-75 X 2,602,636 7/1952 Travers 175-9 2,653,796 9/1953 McGee et al 175-9 2,731,800 1/1956 Collins 6172.4 3,120,260 2/1964 Thompson 175--9 X JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Examiner. 

1. OFFSHORE APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO BE VERTICALLY ARRANGED IN A BODY OF WATER TO EXTEND FROM WATER BOTTOM TO ABOVE WATER SURFACE AND HAVING A WELL EXTENDING TO SAID STRUCTURE, A FLOW RISER HAVING A FREE UPPER END AND A LOWER END, SAID FLOW RISER BEING ATTACHED TO SAID STRUCTURE AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO SAID WELL AT ITS UPPER END, A MOVABLE PIPE SECTION HAVING A LOWER END, SAID MOVABLE PIPE SECTION BEING RELEASABLY ATTACHED TO SAID STRUCTURE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION, AND MEANS FIXEDLY POSITIONED ADJACENT WATER BOTTOM CONNECTING THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LOW RISER AND SAID MOVABLE PIPE SECTION PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID MOVABLE PIPE SECTION FROM ITS SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION TO A POSITION ON WATER BOTTOM, SAID MOVABLE SECTION AND SAID FLOW RISER BEING SUFFICIENTLY LONG TO EXTEND FROM WATER BOTTOM AT LEAST TO WATER SURFACE. 